scholarly journals Agility in humanitarian supply chain: an organizational information processing perspective and relational view

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
David J. Bryde ◽  
Cyril Foropon ◽  
Gary Graham ◽  
Mihalis Giannakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Disaster Relief Operations ◽  
Organizational Information ◽  
Swift Trust ◽  
Relief Operations

Abstract Humanitarian organizations are increasingly facing challenges in terms of improving the efficiency and the effectiveness of their disaster relief efforts. These challenges often arise due to a lack of trust, poor collaboration and an inability to respond to disaster affected areas in a timely manner. Our study attempts to understand how these challenges are overcome by seeking answers to questions related to the topics of swift-trust, collaboration and agility in humanitarian supply chains. For instance, in our study we have attempted to examine how information sharing and supply chain visibility in humanitarian supply chains improve the swift-trust among the humanitarian actors engaged in disaster relief operations. Further, we attempt to understand how-swift trust, commitment and collaboration among the humanitarian actors improve the agility in humanitarian supply chains. In our study we provide both theoretical and data-driven answers to our stated research gaps. Our theoretical model is firmly grounded in organizational information process theory and relational view. We tested our research hypotheses using variance based structural equation modelling with survey data collected using a web based pre-tested instrument from 147 NGOs respondents drawn from the National Disaster Management Authority database. Our results help to advance the theoretical debates surrounding “swift-trust”, “collaboration” and “agility” in humanitarian settings. We further provide direction to managers engaged in disaster relief operations. The humanitarian actors engaged in disaster relief often fail to understand how to build swift-trust. Moreover, how swift-trust further affects commitment and collaboration which in turn further affect agility in humanitarian supply chains. Thus humanitarian organizations must understand how information sharing and supply chain visibility is key to swift-trust among humanitarian actors and agility in humanitarian supply chains. Finally, we outline the limitations of our study and offer some future research directions for investigation.

scholarly journals Synchronized Humanitarian, Military and Commercial Logistics: An Evolving Synergistic Partnership

Safety ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Yuste ◽  
Campbell ◽  
Canyon ◽  
Childers ◽  
Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chains ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Logistics Systems ◽  
Disaster Relief Operations ◽  
Supply Chain Management System ◽  
Relief Operations ◽  
The Military

The increasing complexity and often transboundary scope of complex emergencies are exceeding the capacity of humanitarian logistics systems. The military plays a growing role in supplementing and even leading humanitarian assistance and disaster relief logistics. However, issues relating to military involvement such as sovereignty and cost have refocused the conversation onto capabilities and capacities of commercial logistics providers, who have not been fully engaged and integrated into disaster preparedness, response, and recovery activities. The commercial sector is part of the larger supply chain management system that includes contracting, procurement, storage, and transportation of food, water, medicine, and other supplies, as well as human resources, and necessary machinery and equipment. Military and commercial logistics share many of these elements and tasks daily. The most effective and efficient response combines key elements from humanitarian, military, and commercial logistics systems. Such trilateral cooperation represents the next step in an evolving partnership paradigm that is truly synergistic. We present a Synchronized Disaster Relief Model, as well as multiple examples of how military, commercial, and humanitarian supply chains each bring unique capabilities to disaster relief operations, and how these three supply chains can complement each other in a synergistic manner, through synchronized action.

Big data and predictive analytics in humanitarian supply chains

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 485-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
Zongwei Luo ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Shahriar Akter ◽  
Benjamin T. Hazen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Predictive Analytics ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chains ◽  
Swift Trust ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand how big data and predictive analytics (BDPA), as an organizational capability, can improve both visibility and coordination in humanitarian supply chains.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conceptualize a research model grounded in contingent resource-based view where the authors propose that BDPA capabilities affect visibility and coordination under the moderating effect of swift trust. Using ordinary least squares regression, the authors test the hypotheses using survey data collected from informants at 205 international non-government organizations.FindingsThe results indicate that BDPA has a significant influence on visibility and coordination. Further, the results suggest that swift trust does not have an amplifying effect on the relationships between BDPA and visibility and coordination. However, the mediation test suggests that swift trust acts as a mediating construct. Hence, the authors argue that swift trust is not the condition for improving coordination among the actors in humanitarian supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of the study is that the authors have used cross-sectional survey data to test the research hypotheses. Following Guide and Ketokivi (2015), the authors present arguments on how to address the limitations of cross-sectional data or use of longitudinal data that can address common method bias or endogeneity-related problems.Practical implicationsManagers can use this framework to understand: first, how organizational resources can be used to create BDPA, and second, how BDPA can help build swift trust and be used to improve visibility and coordination in the humanitarian supply chain.Originality/valueThis is the first research that has empirically tested the anecdotal and conceptual evidence. The findings make notable contributions to existing humanitarian supply chain literature and may be useful to managers who are contemplating the use of BDPA to improve disaster-relief-related activities.

Using Organizational Information Processing Theory to Examine the Relationship between Information Sharing and Supply Chain Performance

2011 ◽  
pp. 230-240
Author(s):  
Clay Posey
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Information Processing Theory ◽  
Processing Theory ◽  
Organizational Information ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
Organizational Information Processing Theory ◽  
New Perspective

Supply chains operate under conditions of uncertainty, and chain members exchange information as a means to mitigate such uncertainty within the chain. While these exchanges have largely been viewed as a positive method of achieving operational cohesion, some supply chains appear to benefit more from increased levels of information sharing than others. To assist in explaining the performance differences experienced by supply chains engaged in information-sharing activities, a new perspective of information sharing within supply chains based on organizational information processing theory (Galbraith, 1973) is introduced. More specifically, it is posited that individual supply chains may be examined as single information processors and that their characteristics can induce complexities in the shared information—ultimately an issue that affects how supply chains process this information. Furthermore, the degree to which supply-chain members’ information systems are compatible with each other is posited to also play a significant role in information-processing capabilities.

Modelling systems for an effective humanitarian supply chain for disaster relief operations in the SADC region

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jean-Claude Munyaka Baraka
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Disaster Relief Operations ◽  
Last Mile ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Relief Operations ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Post Disaster

The SADC region has seen both man-made and natural disasters killing over 90 thousand people and affecting millions in the past 33 years. Most of these deaths were as a result of lack of infrastructure and preparedness. Looking at the challenges for providing relief to victims/evacuees throughout the entire disaster and post-disaster periods in the region, the emphasis of this thesis is on last mile transportation of resources, victims, emergency supplies, aiming to optimize the effectiveness (quick­I response) and efficiency (low-cost) of logistics activities including humanitarian supply chain. A survey was used for data collection. Statistical analysis helped determine the impact of disaster relief chains and lead to the development of a mathematical model that shall equip the region with mechanisms for response and recovery operations. An EXCEL optimization tool was used to find the optimal way of transporting relief in the region in case of a disaster.

Humanitarian supply chain management: modeling the pre and post-disaster relief operations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachin Agarwal ◽  
Ravi Kant ◽  
Ravi Shankar
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Facility Location ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Evacuation Planning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disaster Relief Operations ◽  
Relief Operations ◽  
Humanitarian Supply Chain ◽  
Post Disaster

Purpose This study proposed a mathematical model for decision-making in the pre- and post-disaster phases. This research aims to develop a mathematical model for three important fields in the context of humanitarian logistics; stock prepositioning, facility location and evacuation planning in the humanitarian supply chain (HSC) network design. Design/methodology/approach This study applied three optimization techniques; classical approach (CA), pattern search algorithm (PSA) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) to solve the proposed mathematical model. The proposed mathematical model attempts to minimize the total relief items supply chain cost and evacuation chain cost of the HSC. A real case study of cyclone Fani, 2019 in Orissa, India is applied to validate the proposed mathematical model and to show the performance of the model. Findings The results demonstrate that heuristic approach; PSA performs better and optimal solutions are obtained in almost all the cases as compared to the GA and CA. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to deterministic demands in the affected regions, and different scenarios of the disaster events are not considered. Social implications The finding reveals that the proposed model can help the humanitarian stakeholders in making decisions on facility location, relief distribution and evacuation planning in disaster relief operations. Originality/value The results of this study may offer managerial insights to practitioners and humanitarian logisticians who are engaged in HSC implementation.

scholarly journals Collaborative relationships between logistics service providers and humanitarian organizations during disaster relief operations

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Bealt ◽  
Jair Camilo Fernández Barrera ◽  
S. Afshin Mansouri
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Disaster Relief ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Logistics Service ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Disaster Relief Operations ◽  
Logistics Service Providers ◽  
Relief Operations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore barriers and benefits of establishing relationships between humanitarian organizations (HOs) and logistics service providers (LSPs) in order to improve humanitarian disaster relief operations (DROs). The perceptions of a variety of actors are explored to determine key factors which influence collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – This study comprises of qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken alongside an online survey with a variety of respondents. Descriptive statistics, data visualization and qualitative data analysis were implemented to analyse survey results. A follow-up survey and interviews with LSPs validated the results. Findings – The research presents the opinions of a variety of actors involved in DROs and reveals barriers which affect HO/LSP collaboration. Explanations for these barriers and possible solutions to mitigate them are disclosed. The findings also uncover gaps between research and practice; providing new insights into behaviour in the humanitarian field. Practical implications – The authors provide an in-depth understanding of the barriers and challenges faced in this field and suggest a reevaluation of corporate decision making in order to increase trust between LSPs and HOs. The authors identify future research topics including the impact of donors and military organizations on HO decision making, and analysis of variables which may affect the formation of collaborative partnerships. Originality/value – The authors introduce a unique empirical insight into the perspectives of HOs, LSPs and academics and offers suggestions for mitigating the numerous barriers associated with successful collaborative partnerships between HOs and LSPs.

Information Sharing and Supply Chain Performance

2010 ◽  
pp. 1946-1955
Author(s):  
Clay Posey ◽  
Abdullahel Bari
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Supply Chain Performance ◽  
Processing Theory ◽  
Organizational Information ◽  
Exchange Information ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
New Perspective

Practically all supply chains operate under conditions of uncertainty. To mitigate this uncertainty and increase performance, organizations within chains exchange information to achieve operational cohesion. However, as some researchers have noted, some supply chains benefit more from increased levels of information sharing than others (e.g. Cachon & Fisher, 2000). To assist in explaining the performance differences experienced by supply chains engaged in information-sharing activities, we introduce a new perspective of information sharing within supply chains based on organizational information processing theory (Galbraith, 1973). More specifically, our work and derived conceptual model posit that individual supply chains may be examined as single information processors and that their characteristics can induce complexities in the shared information which subsequently influence how supply chains process this information. Furthermore, the degree to which supply-chain members’ information systems are compatible with each other is posited to also play a significant role in information-processing capabilities.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document